Camp Meyers(1873 - 1885, intermittent), near Dryden
An intermittent outpost of Fort Clark (1) for black Seminole Indian scouts, known as the "Black Watch", located in Meyers Canyon near Meyers Spring. Known as Fort Meyers in one 1878 reference. Mainly a tent camp site, it later consisted of fifteen one-room adobe huts. A settlers' stone house (1884) was also built nearby. The scouts patrolled the area to protect the water supply and area settlers from Indian attack. Ruins remain. Site excavated in 2007-2009 by Texas Tech University. Private property, but annual tours can be arranged through the Rock Art Foundation. See alsoRock Art Foundation April 2011 Newsletter

Nearby, or the same site, was Camp at Meyers Spring (1880).

Fort Lancaster (State Historical Park) (1855 - 1861, 1862, 1867 - 1871, intermittent), near Sheffield
A Federal infantry post on Live Oak Creek, it guarded the Pecos River crossing of the San Antonio - El Paso Road. Originally called Camp Lancaster, renamed in 1856. Intermittently used by the Confederates during the Civil War, and briefly re-occupied by the U.S. in 1867, 1868, and 1871. Ruins remain. See alsoOver-Land.com

One mile from the fort was Camp on Live Oak Creek (1854, 1867).

Camp Melvin(1868 - 1871), near Iraan
A subpost of Fort Lancaster located on the north or east bank of the Pecos River two miles west of present-day TX 349 in Crockett County. Also known as Camp Melbourne and Camp at the Pecos Crossing. The site was later known by many other assorted names. A stage station operated here from 1868 - 1881.

Fort Stockton(1859 - 1861, 1867 - 1886), Fort Stockton
A Federal infantry post at Comanche Springs on Comanche Creek, originally named Camp Stockton until 1860. Named after Navy Commodore Robert F. Stockton who captured California for the United States. This was an outpost on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. It was abandoned in 1861 when the state seceded. The Confederates then briefly occupied it, but they also soon abandoned it. Re-garrisoned in 1867 by Federal cavalry and rebuilt on its present site. Some adobe ruins and three adobe Officers' quarters on Officers' Row remain on Williams Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets. Two barracks have been reconstructed. Owned by the city, operated by the Fort Stockton Historical Society. Admission fee. See alsoHandbook of Texas Online || Tour Texas.com

Capt. John Pope's Camp(1855 - 1858, 1868), Loving County
A water drilling camp built by the Army Topographical Engineers, protected by a Dragoon company. It was composed of a star-shaped adobe wall surrounding several adobe/stone buildings. Located 300 yards east of the Pecos River at Red Bluff Springs near the New Mexico state border. Also known as Camp at Pope's Well, Camp Pope, and Post Pecos River (2). Re-occupied again in 1868 as Camp Pope.

Big Bend Military Posts(Big Bend National Park)(1903 - 1911, 1916 - 1920), Castolon
First located here was Castolon U.S. Army Depot (1903 - 1911) to supply troops for border patrol duty. Camp Santa Helena (also spelled Santa Elena) was established nearby in 1916 by the U.S. Cavalry. A permanent garrison post for the Army's border patrol operations (Castolon Barracks) was built in 1919. However, the Mexican border crisis settled down by then, and the new post was abandoned without ever being actually utilized. The former Mess Hall became the "new" La Harmonia Store in 1921. The rest of the post was sold off in 1925. The National Park was developed in 1944. Five other original miltary buildings still remain. See alsoGhostTowns.com

Camp at Neville Springs(Big Bend National Park)(1885), Big Bend
A semi-permanent outpost with stone barracks. Located in Big Bend National Park on the Grapevine Hills Trail, 1.25 miles east of the modern campground on Government Springs Road. Some stone ruins still remain.

Fort Lajitas(1915 - 1920), Lajitas
A U.S. Army border patrol post. No remains.

El Fortin de San José(1773 - 1810), near Presidio
A Spanish outpost which was garrisoned by troops from nearby Presidio del Norte located in Ojinaga, Chihuahua. (see MEXICO page) The abandoned post may have become the private residence of Mexican settler Juan Bustillos in 1830. However, contrary to early markers once located here, this was not later the site of Fort Leaton.

Spanish missions located in the immediate area included: El Señor San José (1715); San Cristóbal (1715); San Antonio de Padua (1715); and San Antonio de los Puliques (1747) (all locations undetermined). Mission of the Cibolos (1715) was located north somewhere on Cibolo Creek near Shafter.

Fort Leaton (State Historical Park) (1848 - 1875), near Presidio
A fortified settlers' 200-foot square adobe home/trading post built by Ben Leaton, located four miles east of town on the Rio Grande. Intermittently used by Federal troops on occasion. Leaton died in 1851, and his family sold the fort to pay off debts. The next owner was killed by Leaton's son in 1875. The post then fell into disuse, but was still occupied until the 1920's. Renovated in the 1930's, and became a state park in 1968.

Camp Presidio (2) (1914 or 1915 - 1920 ?), Presidio
A U.S. Army border patrol post. Located three blocks north of Main Street.

Camp Shafter (2) (1916 - 1920), Shafter
Built by the Texas National Guard for border patrol. Two adobe buildings still remain, plus ruins of a few others.

Fort Cíbolo(Cibolo Creek Ranch Resort)(1857 - 1890's ?), near Shafter
A private quadrangular adobe-walled fort with two circular watchtowers, located on Cibolo Creek four miles northwest of town. Also known as El Fortin del Cíbolo, it was the headquarters of Milton Faver's ranching empire that covered much of Presidio County. Intermittently used by Federal troops from Fort Davis, known as Relay Station at Fort Cíbolo (date ?), and Camp at Faver's Ranch (1879). Faver died in 1889, and his holdings were passed to his wife Francisca and son Juan. Privately reconstructed and restored from 1990-94, it is a rare example of a private fort still remaining in the Big Bend region. Now operated as the Cibolo Creek Ranch Resort. Faver also had a trading store at nearby Presidio Del Norte (present-day Ojinaga, Chihuahua).

Other nearby establishments of the Faver ranching empire were Fort Ciénega (aka El Fortin de la Ciénaga) (1857 - 1890's ?), located at Ciénaga Springs six miles east of town; and Fort Moritas (aka El Fortin de la Morita) (1857 - 1865), closer to Shafter. Both were constructed similar to Fort Cibolo, and both were also intermittently garrisoned by Federal troops. Fort Morita was attacked and captured by Apache Indians in or shortly after 1865. Fort Ciénaga was unsuccessfully attacked in 1871. Both are now restored, and are also units of the Cibolo Creek Ranch Resort.

Fort D. A. Russell(Chinati Foundation - History of Camp Marfa-Fort Russell)
(Hacienda del Arcon Museum)(1913 - 1946), Marfa
Originally called Camp Albert, then renamed Camp Marfa in 1914, it was a supply post for the U.S. Army border patrol. This was a cavalry camp during the Mexican Revolution, and became a permanent post in 1929, transferring the name from the closed Wyoming post. Briefly deactivated from 1933 to 1935, it reopened with field artillery units and was used during World War II for chemical warfare training and to house German POWs after 1943. After closing, many of the quarters became private residences. The Chinati Foundation opened in 1986, using several of the remaining buildings as an art museum. See alsoPHOTOS from Dick SchmittBuilding 98, the former Officers' Club, has been preserved since 2003 as the Hacienda del Arcon by the International Women's Foundation, where two rooms have large painted murals done by German POWs in 1945. Of interest in town is the Marfa and Presidio County Museum, at 110 West San Antonio Street, with exhibits of the fort.

Camp (Cantonment) Peña Colorado(1879 - 1893), near Marathon
A Federal outpost originally known as Camp Rainbow Cliffs until 1880. Located about four miles southwest of town, it was established to prevent Indian raids into Mexico and to open a wagon road from Fort Davis (1) to Fort Clark (1). It was raided by Apaches in 1881. In 1893 it was abandoned after western Texas was cleared of hostile Indians.

Camp Perdido(unknown date), Brewster County ?
Located about 40 miles east of Fort Davis (1).

Fort Davis (1) (National Historic Site) (1854 - 1862, 1867 - 1891), Fort Davis
A Federal infantry post, originally located in the box canyon near Limpia Creek, consisting of a shabby collection of pine-slab huts. A Comanche Indian campsite was previously located here, known as "Painted Comanche Camp" or "Painted Camp on the Limpia". Confederates occupied the post from 1861 to 1862, it then remained mostly deserted for five years, except for Indians and Mexican bandits. A new post on the flat plain at the mouth of the canyon was established in 1867, and completed in 1880, first with stone buildings, then adobe, about 50 buildings total. It was home to the Buffalo Soldiers until 1885. The restored barracks serves as the museum and visitor center. Of interest in town is the Fort Davis Historical Society Museum. See alsoHandbook of Texas OnlineFort Davis and the Trans-Pecos Trails from TexasBeyondHistory.net

Army camps located in the general vicinity of Fort Davis included Camp Relief (1855), Camp near Mountain Peak (1856), and Camp at Seven Springs (1878 - 1879) (undetermined locations).

Camp near Limpia Creek(1853, 1855), near Fort Davis
Located about 15 miles north of Fort Davis (1). Also known as Camp Burbank in 1855.

Camp Barrell Springs(1860), near Toyahvale
Located northeast of Fort Davis (1) near the Barrilla Mountains.

Fort Holland(1918 - 1922), Vieja Pass, near Valentine
A U.S. Army border patrol post located about 12 miles west-southwest of town at Canyon Springs, on what was then the J.R. Holland Ranch. Built in response to Pancho Villa's raids into Texas. Several stone buildings still remain on the Miller Ranch (private property). The owners allow site visits with permission. A 1936 monument is located here commemorating the so-called "Last Battle with the Apaches" which occurred here in June 1880. See alsoTexas Escapes.com || Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo || GhostTowns.com

Previously located here or nearby was Camp Holland (1914 - 1918).

Located about six miles further west on the former Quinn Ranch was the Army border patrol post Camp on Dias e Ocho Creek (1914 - 1918). There are trace remnants of this post, site accessible only with 4x4 vehicles. Located on the 96 Ranch (private property).

Fort Quitman(1858 - 1863, 1868 - 1877, 1881 - 1882), near Esperanza
A Federal infantry post protecting the stage line. Taken over by the Confederates in 1861, and briefly occupied by Union troops from California in 1862 - 1863. Regarrisoned in 1868. Regarrisoned again during Apache troubles. A replica of the fort was once located near McNary. Only the post cemetery remains today. See alsoGhostTowns.com

Fort Hancock(1881 - 1895), Fort Hancock
A Federal cavalry post, initially a subpost of Fort Davis (1), originally named Camp Rice until 1886, that replaced Fort Quitman. In 1882 it moved from its original location (six miles northwest of Fort Quitman) to the Southern Pacific Railroad. Six weeks later it moved again to its present location on higher ground. It became an independent post in 1884. No remains.

Presidio de San Eleazario(San Elizario Historic District)(1789 - 1846, 1847, 1849 - 1851, 1861 - 1862), San Elizario
Formally called Presidio de Nuestra Señora del Pilar y Gloriosa San José, it was moved to its present site in 1789 from El Porvenir, Chihuahua, Mexico (the "Valley of San Eleazario"). An adobe-walled compound, originally located on the south bank of the river, the Rio Grande shifted to the south in 1829, thus creating an "island" where the settlements were located. The presidio remained garrisoned by Mexican troops up until the Mexican-American War. American troops briefly established Camp at Presidio de San Elizario in 1847. The U.S. Army formally established Post of San Elizario here in 1849. Occupied by Confederates in 1861, and by California Union troops in 1862. The presidio was gradually dismantled over time by settlers. The mission chapel was rebuilt in 1882 on the original site, and is still in use today. See alsoYsleta Del Sur Pueblo

Fort Bliss (U.S. Military Reservation) (1849 - present), El Paso
Originally called Post of El Paso, or Post Opposite El Paso del Norte, built to protect settlers from Indians and to assert authority over newly acquired Mexican lands. Also known as Camp at Franklin or Camp at Smith's Ranch. The original location was on Coon's (later Smith's) Ranch in Franklin, the site of the present-day Civic Center. Vacated in 1851 for Fort Fillmore, NM, but regarrisoned in 1853 on a new site in Magoffinsville, and renamed in 1854. The Confederates occupied the vacated fort from 1861 to 1862 to carry out their New Mexico-Arizona campaign. California Union troops drove the Confederates out in 1862, but not before the fort was burned and the military stores looted. The fort was not re-garrisoned again until 1865. Camp Concordia was established in 1868 three miles east on the Stephenson Ranch, near Concordia Cemetery, when the old fort was encroached upon by the Rio Grande floodwaters in 1867 and abandoned. In 1869 the new camp was renamed Fort Bliss. Briefly abandoned in 1877. In 1878 the post was moved back towards the river, using rented quarters at the public square (Jacinto Plaza) until yet another site was selected on a bluff overlooking the river on the west side of town (Hart's Mill). The Rio Grande and El Paso Railroad was granted a right-of-way across the parade ground in the 1880's, so a final move occurred in 1893 to its present location on La Noria Mesa. Two original Officers' Quarters still exist at the Hart's Mill site, now modern apartments located along I-10 at 1836-44 West Paisano Drive. Biggs Army Air Field was built in 1919, formally named in 1925, and is the third longest runway in the United States. The post became an anti-aircraft artillery training center in 1940. Became the headquarters of the Army's Air Defense Command in 1946. The Fort Bliss and Old Ironsides Museum and the Museum of the Non-Commissioned Officer are located on post. A replica of the original adobe fort (four adobe buildings) is located at the Old Fort Bliss Museum, also on post. A stone monument to the original post is located near the 1853 site at Magoffin Ave. and Willow Street. The original name of the settlement in 1848 was Franklin, and in 1853 it was renamed Magoffinsville. See alsoPHOTOS from On Walkabout.com

Other camps associated with Fort Bliss were Camp Owen Bierne (1916 - 1919), a border patrol post located eight miles east of town on the current military reservation, and Camp Newton Baker (1916 - 1920), located three miles northeast of town, which served as a mobilization center for border patrols, and as an Army Signal Corps training camp (1917).

The old Spanish Presidio of El Paso del Norte (1683 - 1773) was located across the river in El Paso del Norte, now present-day Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (renamed in 1888), which protected the Guadalupe Mission. (see MEXICO page) Other Spanish missions in the area include Nuestra Señora del Carmen (1681), also known as Corpus Christi de la Ysleta, located at 131 South Zaragosa Road, which was once on the Mexican side of the river before the river changed course in 1829; and Nuestra Señora de la Concepción del Socorro (1682) in Socorro, originally located near Fabens, but moved to its present site (328 South Nevarez Road) after an Indian revolt in 1683, and was also once on the Mexican side of the river before 1829. The Chamizal National Memorial (Mexico's El Chamizal National Park) denotes the 1964 border adjustment made by President Lyndon Johnson. This parcel of land was originally part of Mexico after the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, but the river changed its course in 1864, leaving this section on the American side of the river. It was claimed but never formally annexed by the United States. This is the only piece of territory ever given back to Mexico after the Mexican-American War.Ysleta Mission Church || La Purisima Mission Church

Camp Holmes(1856), El Paso
Located on the Rio Grande about 12 miles upstream from old Magoffinsville. The Rio Grande no longer flows within its original channel through this area due to past flooding.